What is the Valley of Succoth in the Bible?

Answer

Succoth (or Sukkoth) is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 33:17. Jacob had left Padan-aram where he had lived for twenty-one years, marrying both Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:16-30). He was headed home, fearful that his brother Esau was still angry for being deceived by Jacob many years earlier “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.”, (Genesis 27:41). However, when they saw each other again, Esau forgave Jacob and invited him to settle nearby “And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.”, (Genesis 33:12). Jacob chose instead to go in another direction: “But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth” “And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.”, (Genesis 33:17, ESV). The word succoth means “booths” or “tents.” Jacob most likely named the place Succoth because of his short stay there. The shelters he made there for his cattle were temporary. He eventually left Succoth and journeyed to Shechem where he built a more permanent home.

We learn from Judges 8:4–5 that the area known as Succoth was a valley east of the Jordan River and north of the Jabbok, between Penuel and Shechem. Some scholars place Succoth west of the Jordan, but they may be referring to an area in EgEgypt, also known as Succoth. The Succoth frequently mentioned in Scripture is likely located east of the Jordan River. Succoth was occasionally used as a boundary marker to signify the outer limits of the Promised Land (Psalm 60:6; Psalm 108:7; Joshua 13:27). Succoth became part of the land given to the descendants of Gad: “This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities, and their villages” (Joshua 13:28).

The Valley of Succoth is referenced in a few other passages in Scripture. During Gideon’s time, the men of Succoth refused to offer hospitality to Gideon and his men as they were pursuing their enemies (Judges 8:4-7). Rejecting allied soldiers during wartime was considered unacceptable, so Gideon pronounced a severe curse on the people of Succoth for their unwelcoming behavior, and he took action: “He took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth” (verse 16).

Succoth was also known for its dense clay soil. When Solomon was constructing the temple, the soil near Succoth was utilized to create molds for the necessary bronze items: “The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan” (1 Kings 7:46). These bronze items included two pillars with their capitals, four hundred pomegranates, ten basins and stands, the laver and the twelve bulls supporting it, as well as various pots, shovels, and bowls (verses 41–45).